New Beginnings
by usagi1009
Summary: AU, IchiRuki. Jaded high school students Ichigo and Rukia are plagued by a life of sudden changes, heart break, and tragedy. Their choices will determine if crossing paths might bring more darkness  in their hearts or end it.
1. Chapter 1

**~.~Chapter 1~.~**

* * *

><p>New house, new neighborhood, new school.<p>

Those words repeated in her head like a mantra slowly consuming her sanity. She stood in the center of her lavish room starting angrily at her sister.

Her room.

'_Not for long I guess...'_ She thought bitterly as her eyes scanned the light pink room fit for a princess. Her eyes moved from her fluffy queen bed with too many pillows to count, to her big white desk with a few scattered books lying around. Her eyes settled on the various picture frames of her and her friends smiling away. She had really grown to like this town…it was starting to feel like home.

"What is your problem Rukia? Stop acting so spoiled and be a little more understanding. You know we don't have much choice when it comes down to these things." The older look-alike sister said slightly irritated to the stubborn, younger version of her.

"Don't have a choice you say? Byakuya's business is doing perfectly fine _here_! There's no need for us to always have to leave everything and move at the drop of a hat when he feels it's for the best of the company!" She said angrily raising her hands.

"He's my husband and I need to support him and be there for him. A husband who has shown us great kindness and provides everything and anything your little heart desires might I add." She said running out of patience.

"Well I'd rather _not_ have everything and have a stable home for once…I've lived with barely anything before and not only was I ok with it but I was also _happy_" She said unwilling to give in.

"You always do this…" Hisana said rubbing her temples.

"If you have such a problem with me I don't understand why I can't just stay here on my own. We'd both be better off." She said with cold eyes.

"Because you're my little sister and I want to take care of you." Hisana said with slight sadness in her voice.

"So taking care of me is having me move to some boring town in the middle of nowhere only a few months after I started my second year of high school? You're definitely doing a great job at taking care of me onee-chan, our parents would be sooo proud of you" She finished with sarcasm dripping in her voice.

…**.Slap…..**

Hisana's small hand made contact with her sister's cheek. The sound of her flesh being hit echoed through the room. She stood frozen as she saw tears well up in her sister's expressive violet eyes and immediately felt remorseful for slapping her. It was not in her nature to be an aggressive person. She quickly reached for Rukia with a shaky hand,

"Rukia I'm so sor-"

"Stop…just stop…I _hate_ you!" She yelled shakily as she touched her red cheek and ran to lock herself in her bathroom.

Hisana hugged herself as quiet sobs escaped her.

Rukia could hear Hisana's sobs thorough the walls but they meant nothing to her. They had been in this town for three years. _Three years_. It was the longest they had been at one place ever since she married _the _Kuchiki Byakuya. Didn't she know how hard it was for her to make friends? Or how hard it was to move from school to school and constantly be the new girl over and over again? Rukia's warm tears ran down her face as these thoughts flooded her head.

* * *

><p>Ichigo sat at the school's rooftop during lunch with the people he'd been friends with for as long as he could remember. It was a rare occurrence though. Ever since his mom passed away not too long ago his attitude and behavior started changing and he rarely spent time with them anymore.<p>

"…and so no one was able to find the guy on the TV!" Keigo said laughing loudly at his own joke. The people sitting around him stared at him blankly and continued on with their conversations.

"Ichigo what are you doing after school? We should go to the arcade I hear they have a new game." Tatsuki said hopeful to the orange head looking away at the passing clouds in the sky.

Silence.

"Owww! What was that for?" Ichigo said irritated rubbing his arm after the punch he received from his childhood friend.

"I asked what you were doing after school?" She repeated.

"Umm…going home? I'm not really in the mood to do anything." He said dully.

"Yeah going home, _with Inoue_." Keigo said and winked as he hugged himself and made kissing noises. Ichigo simply rolled his eyes, Keigo wasn't worth his breath.

"Well if you're spending time with your girlfriend then I can let it slide." Tatsuki said happily since Inoue was her best friend.

Mizuiro was about to chime in and tease him too when they saw a blue haired guy signaling for Ichigo to go with him. Ichigo nodded and got up,

"See you guys later." He said and left his old group of friends to go hang out with Grimmjow and his group.

His friends saw with disappointment as Ichigo walked away. They knew Grimmjow was bad news and were saddened by the fact that they were slowly starting to lose their good friend.

...

Ichigo sat on a bench outside of school waiting for Inoue. She was in the school council which meant they usually only got to see each other after her meetings in the evenings. He didn't mind at all, he actually liked that because that meant he got to see less of her.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She yelled loudly as she ran to him, her long hair moving from side to side. He stood up from the bench and was met by his girlfriend's amorous embrace.

Her giant breasts collided with his chest making him take a small step backwards and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. Why was he even with her again? Oh yeah, it was perfectly convenient and easy since she was too soft to ever question him or his moods. He had to admit she was attractive but even if he tried he couldn't develop any particular strong feelings towards her.

After their greeting the two started walking over to Ichigo's house.

"...and so she said not to worry but I said I couldn't let her do it all by herself and then I said I'd help and she said no but I said yes but then she said no until I finally told her I was helping her and then we finally started doing the work together. She's such a nice girl isn't she?" Inoue said lost in her own conversation as she kept a death grip on Ichigo's arm. When she was done with her mindless conversation she turned to him.

"How was your day Kurosaki-kun?" She asked sweetly looking up to his see his face in admiration.

"Fine." He answered dryly not meeting her eyes.

"I heard you and Shiba-kun almost got into a fight in class today..." She said slightly nervous. Kaien Shiba was also in the school council and was always very nice and helpful to everyone _-not to mention he was just as hot as Ichigo-._ She didn't have a problem with him so she always wondered why Ichigo hated the guy so badly, but given Ichigo's temper she would never ask him about it.

"He was being too much of a stuck-up brat like usual and it was hard to let it go." He said with a scowl.

Kaien and Ichigo were long time rivals at school, mostly because Ichigo hated the guy and was always the one to start things with him. He hated the fact that Kaien came from a wealthy family and acted like Mr. Perfect...no way could someone be so nice all the time. He also hated the fact that people were always comparing them because of "how much they looked alike". Kaien himself was a very laid back guy and got along with everyone though.

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><p>When she heard Hisana leave the room, Rukia left her bathroom and threw herself on the bed. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off for a few hours…<p>

***knock*knock***

"Come in" Rukia said sleepily with her face buried in the pillows.

"Rukia-sama, dinner is ready." A servant said awkwardly.

"Thanks." Rukia said and the servant left quickly.

She grunted knowing dinner was something the family always did together. She rolled herself off the bed and headed to the dining room.

….

She sat on her spot across from her older sister on the long rectangular table, Byakuya sat at the head of the table. They ate quietly and gracefully like they always did. When they were done eating their meal the servants retired the plates. They then brought a few sweets to the table for the ladies of the household and a cup of green tea for Byakuya.

Rukia stabbed a chocolate covered strawberry with her silver fork and started nibbling on it. Byakuya looked up and broke the silence,

"The arrangements have been made. We will depart a week from today." He said and took a sip of tea from his porcelain cup.

"I also received a call today to finalize the arrangements for your school. Your first day at Karakura High will be Monday." Hisana said with a soft voice meeting her sister's eyes warily.

Rukia knew better than to protest like she did in her room. She looked at Hisana once before lowering her eyes and focusing back on her strawberry again. Byakuya gave Hisana a quick inquiring look before regaining his stoic face and continuing to drink his tea.

Rukia felt a tinge of guilt for her earlier blow-up with her sister. She knew even though Byakuya had a cold exterior, he cared deeply about her and her sister. He had also sacrificed a lot himself to be with Hisana.

* * *

><p>A few minutes after Inoue left his house, Ichigo went to eat dinner with his family.<p>

"You know you don't have to kick your girlfriend out every time before dinner onii-chan…it would be nice if we could meet her." Yuzu said shyly as she deposited a scoop of rice in a small bowl.

"Yeah, all you ever do is sneak her in to do who knows what in your bedroom and after a few hours she leaves. That's rude! I wouldn't put up with that crap if it was me." Karin said as she played with her chopsticks.

"Watch your mouth Karin!...and mind your own business." Ichigo said with a scowl. He didn't take Inoue seriously enough to have her meet his family and he found it rather annoying for them to be butting in…they were always so nosey.

"She's right you know, that girl comes around too much for us to not meet her properly." Isshin said as he sat tiredly on the table. Everyone was slightly taken back at Isshin's gloomy mood. He was never this serious and was usually annoying everyone _-especially Ichigo-_ during dinner.

"Is everything ok dad?" Yuzu asked worried.

Isshin gave her an apprehensive look; he couldn't bring himself to tell them.

"Just spit it out already old man!" Ichigo said with frustration.

"The clinic hasn't been doing so great financially. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep it going if things keep going the way they are." He said with sadness in his voice.

Ichigo, Yuzu and Karin were speechless. These were news they were definitely not expecting. The rest of the dinner was unusually quiet after that.

As soon as he was done, Ichigo disappeared into his room like he always did. He threw himself on the bed wondering when his family would finally catch a break. His mother had died not too long ago and now his father's clinic might be shutting down. He put on a sweatshirt and left his room, he needed to get away from this mess…

* * *

><p><strong>A week later…<strong>

She sat in the empty room, the now bare walls staring at her mockingly. Everything had been packed and tomorrow morning they would be moving to their new "home".

"So what's the name of the town you're moving to again?" One of her friends asked.

"Karakura." Rukia said with a frown.

"Hmm." The girl said putting a finger to her lips, "Never heard of it."

"It's some small town literally on the opposite side from here. It's a few hours away…" Rukia explained.

"Well, we'll miss you!" Another girl said sweetly.

"Yeah but we'll keep in touch. We'll email, talk on the phone, video chat, whatever it takes but we'll definitely stay in touch!" A third one said optimistically.

Rukia simply smiled with her eyes closed and nodded. She knew that wasn't true. It was always like that no matter how strong her newfound friendships might be. They might stay in touch for the first weeks or even months if they were lucky, but soon enough the friendships dwindled in the wind like they had never even existed.

After finishing their tea and sweets the girls departed with farewell wishes and big smiles plastered on their naïve faces. Rukia walked them out the door with a fake smile of her own pretending to be fine and hiding her true feelings like she always did.

She closed the door and turned to head to her room when she noticed Hisana standing by the hallway. Rukia simply sent her a cold glare and headed to her room.


	2. Chapter 2

**~.~Chapter 2~.~**

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><p>"Rukia" Hisana said and shook her sister's shoulder gently, "we're here."<p>

She opened her violet eyes and looked out of the tinted windows of the limousine. They had left for Karakura early in the morning. As soon as they got in the limo she had put on her headphones and closed her eyes to zone out the others in the car.

They had finally arrived _home_.

The house was on a hill overlooking the mountains along with the rest of the smaller houses. That was Byakuya for you, always picking the biggest and most intimidating looking house on the block.

They exited the limo and headed to the door. Byakuya entered a code on the alarm system and proceeded to open the elegant wooden door.

He walked around the first floor giving the two women a small tour. There were dark wood floors and high ceilings throughout giving the white walls a nice contrast. The furniture was a combination of modern yet traditional and there was a big crystal chandelier when they first walked in the house. Everything was as usual perfect and void of life.

"The bedrooms are in the second floor; make sure to let the movers know of your selection. Call me if you need anything." Byakuya said at the end of his small tour and headed out.

"Where is he going?" Rukia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He has a meeting with a few businessmen from the town." Hisana said.

"Oh I see. He couldn't wait until tomorrow, it _had_ to be today, our first day here." Rukia said with annoyance.

"Rukia don't do this right now. How about we go and check out the bedrooms?" Hisana responded with a forced smile and headed up the stairs.

Rukia waited for Hisana to pick a room and when she did she picked the one furthest from them.

When she opened the door to her new bedroom she was pleasantly surprised. The room was very large with high ceilings and its own bathroom, but what Rukia liked the most was the balcony. It had a nice view of the big backyard and it overlooked the town.

…

A few hours later she sat on the floor with her endless valley of unopened boxes. Her feelings intensified and everything seemed more real.

'_What am I thinking? I don't know why I even let it bother me...'_

***knock*knock***

"Come in"

"Rukia, Byakuya called. He said the company is throwing a welcome party for us Sunday...I was thinking we could go shopping and pick out some cute outfits together?" Her sister said hopeful.

"I want to arrange my things so why don't you go today and I'll go tomorrow when I have some free time." She said and started opening a few boxes.

"Oh ok…" Hisana said with sadness in her eyes and walked out.

* * *

><p>Saturday evening came and he was bored out of his mind. He thought about calling Inoue to go over to her place but he wasn't too sure if that would be a good idea. He had been seriously thinking about breaking up with her but he wasn't in the mood to deal with that or her dramatic tears. Luckily his phone rang just in time,<p>

"Hello"

"Yo Ichigo! You busy?" Grimmjow asked.

"Nah…kinda bored actually"

"You're in luck then, we wanna go play laser tag but we're short a person"

"Cool, count me in"

"Alright I'll pick you up in half an hour"

Ichigo hung up and went to get ready. He changed into dark jeans and a white hoodie with a black t-shirt. He headed downstairs and plopped on the couch to wait for Grimmjow.

"Ichi-nii, dad and Karin went to get a pizza and I'm making cupcakes…we're having a movie night. Do you want to join us?" Yuzu asked with a hopeful smile as she poked her head from the kitchen to look at her brother sitting in the living room.

"Sorry Yuzu I already made plans, maybe next time." Ichigo said looking out the window. Ever since his mom passed away he couldn't help but avoid his family. Being around them was too painful since it brought back memories he wanted to repress.

A few minutes later Grimmjow's sports car pulled up. It was baby blue with tinted windows and some type of panther design on the sides of it. Ichigo opened the door and went inside.

Grimmjow flashed Ichigo his trademark mischievous grin before revving the engine and turning up the music.

Yuzu looked out the window with a small frown watching as the car left. She didn't know her brother's new group of friends but they were nothing like his old friends.

* * *

><p>Rukia was in her room arranging a few things when she heard a knock on the door.<p>

"Come in."

The red-head peeked in nervously, "I was wondering if you needed help with anything or if you wanted to go somewhere…"

"Hm, did _they_ send you here?" She asked spitefully.

"N-n-n-no" he said waving his hands frantically, "I was just wondering because you don't really seem happy to be here." He said looking away.

She felt bad for lashing at him like that; it wasn't his fault she was in this situation. The loyal redhead had been hired by Byakuya to take care of her when she started high school and ever since he had been the person she went to whenever she was going through anything.

"Maybe you can drop me off at the downtown area since I need to go shopping for a dress." She said.

"Ok, I'll go get the car ready." He said with a smile and closed the door.

…

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along? I can help you with your bags" Renji asked as he drove his red sports car. It had tinted windows and some strange tribal designs on the sides.

"No thank you. I kind of need some time to myself..." Rukia said looking out the window.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" He asked one least time once they were by the shopping area.

"Yes Renji" She said zipping up her brown jacket. She then wrapped her violet scarf around her neck.

"Alright but call me if you need anything!" Renji said as she exited the car.

"Will do" She said and waved goodbye.

The small downtown area of Karakura wasn't too bad, it had a few cute shops and it was already decorated with winter stuff.

A few hours later she was in a better mood after finding a nice dress to wear for tomorrow's business lunch. She looked around and noticed all the happy couples walking around holding hands and suddenly felt lonely and empty again. She tried to push those unwanted feelings away.

'_The couples are annoying but their hot chocolates look tasty enough'_ Rukia thought and decided to go to the café she passed up earlier before calling Renji to pick her up.

* * *

><p>Ichigo and Grimmjow arrived at the arcade. Ulquiorra, DiRoy, Nnoitra, Loly, Nel, and Harribel were already there.<p>

"Took you long enough." Loly said glaring at Grimmjow.

"Shut up, I had to get Ichigo. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have been able to make the teams anyway." He replied.

"Ok ok enough bickering. I want to be in Ichigo's team!" Nel said and went to stand very close to the orange head.

"I'll be in the opposite team." Ulquiorra said sending Ichigo an annoyed look. For some reason the two didn't get along.

After arguing some more they finally finished getting in teams.

"Just so you all know the losers get to treat us somewhere" Grimmjow said with a cocky smile.

"I hope you brought enough money then especially since you have two wimpy girls in your team." Noitra said with a grin.

"Do _not_ start with me." Loly said angrily.

"I told you not to invite him." Nel said to Grimmjow.

….

The game was fun once the bickering was over but it was tough since both teams were very competitive. At the end it was Ulquiorra's group who won.

"Looks like you ate your words " Ulquiorra said dryly but with satisfaction.

"Yeah whatever" Grimmjow said annoyed.

They walked around the town for a little while until they decided on a café. Everyone went to sit at a table while Ichigo and Grimmjow went to place the order.

* * *

><p>There was a long line at the café. Rukia was about to text Renji to pick her up when a skinny blond guy approached her.<p>

"Hey cutie" he said with a wide smile, "my friend over there is experiencing love at first sight but he's too shy to tell you so I was wondering if I could get your number for him."

"Are you serious? How about you go back to your friend and leave me alone." Rukia said irritated.

"Come on don't be like that he's a really nice guy." The blonde continued.

Rukia was about to tell him off again when the guy behind her butted in, "The girl just told you to get lost, now beat it!" Grimmjow said. He actually wasn't that nice of a guy to help a stranger but he was still steaming after losing the laser tag game and wanted to blow off some steam by picking on someone.

"Excuse me?" Shinji said calmly, his smile gone.

An eager Grimmjow smirked as he cracked his knuckles. Ichigo tensed and his scowl deepened knowing something was about to happen.

Shinji's group noticed the altercation. Kensei was the first to get up and go to his friend's aid.

"What the hell is going on?" The silver haired guy said with a scowl.

"Not much" Shinji said still calmly, "I was just trying to help you out a little with this cutie here when this guy butted in." He said staring at Grimmjow.

"More like harassing the poor girl..." Grimmjow instigated.

"You like talking trash? Maybe we should take this outside so I can shut you up" Kensei said with an angry scowl.

"About time" Grimmjow said grinning and headed outside.

Both groups left their tables and ran after the two. Rukia texted Renji to pick her up and went to the washroom to cool off before heading outside to wait for him.

The punches were flying as the two short tempered guys went at it. Grimmjow loved the adrenaline of a good fight and it didn't help that Kensei was very hot tempered.

They finally managed to break the fight; both groups stood by each other with matching death glares. Rukia stepped out of the café embarrassed of the commotion. She felt responsible and wished a black hole would magically appear and sallow her whole.

Ichigo noticed the awkward girl standing alone and for some reason felt compelled to see if she was ok. Without thinking he walked towards her.

"Are you ok?" He asked taking her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah...what a crazy town" She said quietly to herself in disbelief but he heard her.

"It's not usually like this" He said rubbing the back of his head, "I guess you can say you got lucky to witness something exciting at all." He said with a small smile.

"I see." She said and continued to stand there. He wondered if maybe she was too shocked to go home.

"I'll walk you home if you want..." He offered. She looked up to meet the orange haired guy's brown eyes and couldn't help the sense of trust that washed over her.

She was about to reply when a loud engine stopped in front of the crowded area. Renji quickly got out of his sports car and ran to Rukia.

"Rukia! Are you ok?" He said scanning the area noticing the two groups of angry people. His eyes then landed on Ichigo. He didn't hesitate to send him a lovely death glare.

"Yeah I'm-" She said but didn't finish as he pulled her by her wrist and took her towards the car. He opened the door and helped her in although it was more like shoving in. He turned on the engine revving it and glaring at Ichigo and the two groups before he sped away.

"What a jackass" Grimmjow said glaring back.

"After all this crap she had a boyfriend!" Hiyori said angrily to her friends.

"That's ok Kensei, she wasn't that cute anyway" Lisa said. Shinji's group gave Grimmjow's group one last look before turning around and walking away.

"I told you it was gonna be a fun night!" Grimmjow said as he watched the group leave, "but damn Ichigo I didn't know you were so smooth with the ladies" He said happy now that he had let off some steam.

"He's not." Ulquioria chimed in.

Ichigo didn't have a retort for either of the guys, he was still thinking about the girl he had met a few minutes ago. A weird feeling stirred in his stomach, he felt something he had never felt for any other girl before.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone,

This is just a small note to let you guys know that I revised and changed the story a bit. I'm back to working on it so I will be updating soon! =D

* * *

><p><strong>~.~Chapter 3~.~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Why did you do that?" Rukia asked angrily as she rubbed her wrist, "no better yet, why don't you tell me what the hell is wrong with you!"<p>

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Renji asked in disbelief, "you were surrounded by a bunch of thugs in a town you don't even know! I was trying to be nice and left you alone because you needed time for yourself but I should have known better"

"Renji" Rukia said aggravated, "even though Byakuya hired you so you could take care of me I'm older now…I hate how you always try to follow me around and act like I can't do anything for myself. Not only that but you have other responsibilities to take care of too" She said looking out the window.

Renji gripped the steering wheel tighter and subconsciously started increasing his speed. The truth was he had developed strong feelings for her despite trying to fight them off. He was always there for her whenever she needed anything or whenever she was going through a hard time. Unfortunately for him he wanted to be more than just a friend or a shoulder to cry on.

Rukia noticed the increasing speed but she was too mad to say anything so she ignored his temper tantrum and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. When they finally got home he excited the car quickly and went to open her door but she beat him to it and slammed it forcefully. He winced, he loved his car...

Renji caught up to Rukia and with a serious face entered the code to get in the house. When he opened the door Byakuya and Hisana were waiting for them with worried faces.

"Renji" Byakuya said in an icy tone, "care to explain why you had Rukia out so late? You know we don't allow this sort of behavior"

"I'm sorry boss…I lost track of time" Renji said looking like a sad puppy, he hated disappointing Byakuya.

Renji excelled in martial arts and had been hired by Byakuya after graduating high school to look after Rukia. He had also been given him opportunities in life he wouldn't have had otherwise. He lived alone and wasn't financially able to go to college but after being hired by Byakuya, he was allowed a very flexible schedule, had a generous pay, and was able to continue his education.

"It's not his fault...I told him to leave me alone for a while and _I_ was the one who lost track of time" Rukia explained without making eye contact.

Byakuya looked at Renji and then back at Rukia. He knew Renji could be a bit of a pushover when it came down to Rukia and also knew that Rukia was probably indeed the one who suggested to be left alone, "You may retire to your bedroom, we have the company's lunch tomorrow and you need to get your sleep."

Renji watched as Rukia's small figure walked up the elegant stairs. He then said goodbye and headed out to his place.

* * *

><p>"Nope not going" Ichigo said with a scowl and pretended to go back to reading his manga.<p>

Since he was also a businessman in Karakura because he had his own clinic, Isshin had been invited to tomorrow's luncheon. This was a great opportunity for him because if he made a good impression with the Kuchiki investors he might be able to get enough money to get the clinic out of debt.

"C'mon don't be such a party pooper!" Isshin said with a frown but then he got an evil grin on his face, "I hear the Kuchiki's daughter is very beautiful! Don't you wanna find out?"

"Nah I hate rich snobs. I wouldn't have anything in common with her anyway" Ichigo said uninterested.

"Fine" Isshin said defeated and left his teenage son's bedroom.

"Yuzu, Karin, looks like you girls are coming with daddy tomorrow!" He yelled in the hallway.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and shook his head. His crazy dad could try everything he wanted but he would not be caught dead socializing and pretending to get along with a bunch of rich snobby people.

* * *

><p>The following day Rukia, Hisana, and Byakuya headed to the luncheon. Rukia hated these types of events but she already knew she would never be allowed to stay home.<p>

The black limousine stopped in front of a tall building in Karakura's upscale downtown area. The driver opened the door and Byakuya was the first to exit. He helped Hisana out and then Rukia.

All eyes were on the perfect family the moment Byakuya stepped out. Byakuya was wearing a black tuxedo, Hisana was wearing a beautiful knee-length black dress with white gloves and her hair loose, and Rukia was wearing a chiffon violet dress that complimented the color of her eyes. She was also wearing white gloves and her hair was done up.

"Welcome to our town, we are honored to have you." One of the businessmen welcomed the family with a wide smile. The group introduced each other and then headed inside the building. The man talked non-stop as he showed the family to their table.

"This is so nice of them don't you think?" Hisana said to Rukia with a smile once they took a seat.

"Lovely" Rukia said unenthusiastic as she looked around. _'Tables as far as the eye can see, waiters moving around, and nameless faces talking their heads off. Definitely the place to be.'_ She thought to herself. It was funny how in such busy places she could feel the loneliest.

After eating lunch Byakuya started socializing and circulating the room with Hisana in tow. Rukia sat alone at the big table bored out of her mind. She now wished she would have invited Renji but she was still mad at him for the way he acted yesterday. She sat there dully until she heard Hisana's voice calling her,

"Rukia I'd like you to come meet someone" Hisana waved at her sister with a warm smile. Rukia stood up, plastered a fake smile on her face and unwillingly went by her sister.

"These lovely girls are Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan, they're a bit younger than you but they're just as bored so I thought maybe you would like to keep each other company" Hisana said.

"Oh ok" Rukia said giving the girls a now genuine smile. They seemed normal enough.

"Good, I'll be with Byakuya if you need anything." Hisana said before walking away.

The girls stood awkwardly in the center of the crowded room. They stared at each other wondering what to talk about when Yuzu broke the silence.

"So how do you like Karakura? You just moved here right?"

"It seems nice but I've only been here since Friday so I haven't had the chance to explore much" Rukia said.

"Ohh" Both Yuzu and Karin said.

"So do your parents usually force you to come to these types of exciting parties?" Rukia asked.

"Not really. Our dad made us come because our older brother didn't want to come with him. Our dad's a doctor so we don't really go to these types of events" Yuzu answered.

"I see" Rukia said. She wondered why the girls didn't mention their mother but she didn't feel comfortable prying.

"So where will you be going to school?" Karin asked broadly wondering if Rukia was a middle school or a high school student.

"To Karakura High, I'm in my second year." Rukia answered.

"Oh that's cool! Our brother also goes there and he is also in his second year" Yuzu chimed in.

"Well I'll be happy to meet him, I'm sure he's as nice as both of you." Rukia said.

The girls continued making small talk for a while longer until someone came from behind Rukia and covered her eyes. The hands that gently covered her face definitely belonged to a man.

Rukia was dumbfounded. She wanted to punch or kick the audacious stranger who dared put his hands on her face but she had to remember her place. She exhaled loudly before prying the intruding hands off. When she turned around to see the intruder she was met by a pair of strangely familiar blue eyes.

"Long time no see, _Rukia_" The black haired guy said grinning.

She stared at the stranger with a blank face.

"You seriously don't remember me? You offend me! It hasn't been that long, has it?" He said still ginning.

Her eyes lingered on his warm smile and then moved back to his welcoming blue eyes, "K-k-kaien?"

"So you do remember me" He said.

Realization finally hit her and she threw her arms around him.

"I'm so happy to see you again!" She said euphoric.

After Hisana got married to Byakuya, Rukia was transferred to one of the best elementary schools in her town and moved to an upscale neighborhood. She was nervous, shy, and came from a different background than the wealthy kids in her class but her and Kaien quickly became good friends. He always defended her from bullies and reminded her to stand up for herself when she had lost confidence. A year later Kaien's family had to leave town because of his father's business and they lost touch.

"What are you doing here?" She said looking up from her hug.

"You really don't remember? When my father's business moved all those years ago I came here" He said.

Yuzu and Karin stood shyly next to the hugging friends. When Rukia noticed she had forgotten about the twins she quickly introduced them.

"Kurosaki? Are you two lovely girls the sisters of Kurosaki Ichigo by any chance?" Kaien asked.

"Unfortunately we are." Karin said.

"You know their brother? Does that mean that you go to Karakura High as well?" Rukia asked with wide eyes.

"I do and I'll be picking you up bright and early tomorrow so we can ride together." Kaien said with a smile.

Rukia smiled back. She was delighted to once again be reunited with her childhood friend.

At the end of the luncheon Kaien said his goodbyes and Karin and Yuzu exchanged numbers with Rukia. After talking some more they clicked and realized they liked many of the same things. The girls were very nice and even if they were a few years younger than her, Rukia didn't mind being friends with them.

* * *

><p>The Kurosakis got home with big smiles on their faces. They walked in the living room and found a bored looking Ichigo surfing the channels on the television.<p>

"You guys seem happy" He noted after glancing at them and then went back to the TV.

"Dad has an appointment with some investors tomorrow. The clinic might be fine after all!" Yuzu said happily. Ichigo couldn't help but smile back, he loved seeing his sisters happy even if lately he had been pushing everyone away.

"Aaaaand" Karin said with a smirk, "there was a very nice and pretty girl that we made friends with. Too bad for you!…although she probably wouldn't have gone for a guy like you"

"We exchanged numbers and we're going to be hanging out soon you know" Yuzu said.

"Yeah, you can meet her then" Karin teased some more.

"Don't think I'm interested" Ichigo said and opted to leave the noisy living room and go up to his room like usual. There was one girl on his mind he'd like to meet again but given the circumstances of not knowing anything about the pretty stranger he doubted he would.

* * *

><p>The following morning Rukia was in an upbeat mood. She woke up early, got ready for school, and headed downstairs to have breakfast.<p>

"Good morning!" She said to Hisana and sat down to eat.

"Good morning" Hisana said with a truly happy smile. After the luncheon Rukia had been more talkative. She talked about Kaien and about inviting Yuzu and Karin soon.

_***Ring*Ring*Ring***_

"Hello" Rukia answered her phone.

"Hey, Rukia…it's Renji. Just wanted to say I'm sorry for acting like a jerk on Saturday, I was hoping-"

"Don't worry about it. You were just worried about me it's fine" She said and took a bite of her toast.

"Cool…so should I come by now to drive you to school then?" Renji asked feeling relieved.

"Oh I forgot to call you yesterday! Don't worry about it, a friend is picking me up today and he'll most likely be bring me back as well"

"Oh…ok I guess I'll ask the boss if he had anything else for me to do today then" Renji said with disappointment.

"Sounds good, bye!" Rukia said unaware of Renji's saddened tone and hung up.

'_I didn't know Rukia knew anyone in this town…especially not a guy.'_ Renji thought dimly.

"Rukia-sama, you have a guest" A maid said to Rukia.

"Ok thanks" Rukia said and finished her orange juice. She quickly went upstairs, brushed her teeth and grabbed her book bag. She glanced at herself in the mirror one last time before walking out as fast as she could to the front of the house.

"Excited for your first day of school, huh?" Kaien said with a smile when he saw Rukia rushing down the stairs. Rukia frowned slightly when she remembered the true meaning of this day, new school and new people.

"It'll be fine. If anyone tries to bully you just show them the killer moves I taught you back then" He said ruffling her hair as they headed out of the house.

"We were _nine_. And I'm sure all your "killer moves" were made up and are probably not effective anyway." Rukia said trying to fix her hair.

The pair got in the car, put on their seatbelts, and headed to the school.

"Nice car" Rukia said of the black sport's car.

"Thanks" Kaien replied and begun driving.

When they got to school they parked and headed to the building. Kaien must have been very popular because Rukia noticed many people waving to him in the crowded hallways. She also noticed a few girls giving her confused looks probably wondering what she was doing with him. When they were getting closer to the classroom she started getting nervous as the new faces stared at her.

"It'll be fine, relax" Kaien said with a smile when he noticed.

"I think I have to go to the washroom…I'll catch up to you in a bit" Rukia said shakily.

"Do you want me to walk you? You look kinda pale?" He asked concerned.

"No really that's ok, thanks." She said and ran to the nearest washroom she could find.

When she got there her stomach was in knots. She hated this. Even when she tried not to let it affect her it always did. _'Why? Why must I be so weak'_ She said to herself as she fisted her shaking hands and tried to take deep breaths to calm herself.

The class was about to start and Rukia was still not there. Kaien was becoming nervous and was about to go look for her when the student council members were called.

"Are you ok Shiba-kun?" Orihime asked with worried eyes.

"Y-y-yeah I'm fine" He said with a small smile and walked out of the classroom with Inoue to their meeting.

* * *

><p>"Kuchiki Rukia? Kuchiki-san?" The teacher called and everyone in the classroom looked around. They started whispering about the new girl and why she wasn't there.<p>

'_Kuchiki?'_ Ichigo wondered to himself. Had he heard that name somewhere?

"Kurosaki-san!" The teacher called, "go find your new classmate Kuchiki Rukia. She's in the school somewhere…" The teacher said before starting class.

"Yes" He said and stood up from his desk to go look for her. _'Dammit!'_ He thought disgruntled. He knew the teacher disliked him and that's why he always asked him to do pity chores like these. _'What the hell, I don't even know what she looks like. How am I supposed to find her? _He said with a deep scowl as he started walking through the now empty hallways.

* * *

><p>'<em>I can do this!'<em> Rukia said to herself after noticing the washroom was now empty and stepped out. She then started looking at the classroom numbers trying to find hers.

After a few minutes of walking around Ichigo was getting irritated but the only comfort he found in this situation was the fact that he got to be out of his boring class. He was about to give up looking when he turned around a corner and noticed a confused-looking girl in the hallway.

"Oi!" He said and walked towards the girl still with his scowl in place.

Rukia turned to the voice and the first thing she saw was the guy's mop of bright orange hair. She quickly thought back to the guy from a few nights ago and hoped it wasn't him; she was still embarrassed about the way Renji acted.

As Ichigo walked closer to the girl she started looking familiar. It wasn't until his eyes focused on her deep violet ones that he remembered who she was.

"Oh it's you!" He blurted out as he pointed to her.

"Yep" She said unexcitedly hoping he wouldn't bring up the whole Renji thing.

"I didn't know you went to this school" He said rubbing the back of his neck and started walking by her side feeling slightly nervous. He didn't know why this girl made him feel like this.

"This is my first day actually" She said with a small smile.

"I see…wait, are you Kuchiki Rukia?" He asked once he remembered he was looking for the new girl. When she nodded he felt a strange sense of relief in knowing that she was in his class.

"The teacher asked me to go look for you…I'm in your class. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo" He said and extended his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you" She said and shook hands with him but then she remembered, "wait did you just say Kurosaki Ichigo? Are you Yuzu and Karin's brother?"

"Yeah…" He said wondering how she knew his family. He suddenly remembered Karin's teasing and the Kuchiki name…

Rukia gave Ichigo a genuine smile as she looked into his chocolate eyes. There was something about him that made her feel at ease, and maybe the fact that life kept bringing them together was a good thing. She felt like everything was falling into place effortlessly in this new town.

Ichigo smiled back with a somewhat confused but sincere smile of his own, something he hadn't done in a long time. Since their first meeting he had felt attracted to her, and now that they had met again he wasn't going to let his chance go to waste.

Their moment was abruptly interrupted when Kaien's gentle voice was heard calling for her from across the hallway with none other than Inoue by his side...


	4. Chapter 4

**~.~Chapter 4~.~**

* * *

><p>"Hey" Kaien's voice was heard from across the hallway as he approached his childhood friend, "are you barely making your way to class?"<p>

"Yeah but don't worry, a classmate was sent to get me" Rukia said with a comforting smile.

Ichigo was quick to notice the way Kaien gently touched her arm and the tenderness in their eyes as they looked at each other.

When Rukia turned to look at the orange head her smile fell quickly when she noticed him glaring at Kaien. She then turned to Kaien and noticed his mouth was now a narrow line and his jaw tightened. She was surprised of Ichigo's hostility but also of the tense aura around Kaien since he had never been the type of person to have problems with anyone.

"Shiba-kun we should probably get to our meeting" Inoue said and walked closer to Ichigo's side.

"Right" Kaien said breaking the staring contest between them, "but before we go let me introduce you to-"

"Kuchiki Rukia?" Inoue said with a bubbly smile and turned to the petite girl, "my name is Inoue Orihime, Shiba-kun couldn't stop talking about you all week! He told me how close you both used to be"

"Nice to meet you Inoue-san. Yes, Kaien was a very good friend" Rukia said awkwardly.

"_Was_ a very good friend?" Kaien teased.

While the old friends joked around Orihime turned to a grumpy Ichigo. She slowly moved her arm and tried to link her fingers with his. She smiled at the warmth of his hand as she grazed it.

"Time to go Kuchiki-san" Ichigo said suddenly and moved abruptly from the now rejected girl.

"Yes…sorry" Rukia said embarrassed and waived goodbye to Kaien.

A small frown appeared on Inoue's face. It was times like these she wondered why Ichigo was even with her if he didn't give her a chance and let her in. Maybe she was starting to lose him? No, because how could you lose someone you never had?

* * *

><p>When they got to the classroom Rukia introduced herself and was assigned the seat next to Ichigo's. Her mind drifted off the moment the teacher begun blabbing about whatever math problem he was talking about.<p>

'_This is Kaien's classroom…'_ She thought thankful to be with him again. She was too shy to look around but wondered where he sat and about the friends he'd made. She was sure everyone loved him since he was so good with people. She then remembered the weird aura between him and Ichigo. What was up with that? She turned her head slightly as her curious violet eyes turned to see him.

Ichigo sat in his seat bored and bothered. Today not even the view out the window could keep his attention. He couldn't stand Kaien. Why the hell did he have to be close to the one girl who had finally caught his interest? He didn't like his protectiveness or the way he doted over her.

He turned his eyes to look at the petite girl next to him. His eyes moved from her legs, to her waist, to her shoulders, and finally to her silky hair. He was attracted to her from the first time they met.

When she turned his brown eyes met her curious violet ones; he blushed a bit since he had been caught staring but gave her a half smile nonetheless. Rukia smiled back before turning quickly.

As soon as class was over Ichigo turned to look at his newfound interest again,

"Pretty boring huh?"

"Kinda..." She answered as she played with her pen.

"Like I said Saturday, things are always like this here" He said.

"I don't really mind it. Knowing my family we'll probably move in a few months anyway" She said quietly.

"You're lucky. I've lived here all my life but I'd give anything to get away from this place now" He said thinking back on his own family problems.

"When you're the one that wants to do the moving it's fine but it's lonely when you've got no control over it" She said looking away.

"It can get lonely being in a place like this all you life too" Ichigo continued.

"I'm sure you at least always have someone to go to" She continued.

Ichigo could tell the mood had gotten sour and felt like an idiot for seemingly hurting her feelings. The next teacher always took his sweet time getting to class so he took it as his chance. He got up, grabbed Rukia by her wrist, and without a word pulled her up.

"Hey...Kurosaki what are you doing?" She said as she was led out of the classroom.

Ichigo walked quickly through the hallway and up a set of stairs while Rukia tried to keep up. When they got to the top he pushed open a metal door and let go of her small wrist. She winced and her face scrunched up when the brightness of the sun hit her eyes.

When she opened them again Ichigo was walking towards the metal railing of the school's rooftop. She followed him and leaned on the rail as well. They stayed there for a while longer staring at the mountains and the passing clouds in a comfortable silence. She knew why he had brought her there and he knew not to ask unnecessary questions.

When they finally got back, class had already started so both took their seats as quietly as possible. The thin teacher at the front started at the pair with a rigid expression. Rukia was embarrassed since everyone was clearly starting. Ichigo didn't seem bothered and simply looked away.

"I see you're already making friends _Kuchiki-san_" The old woman said, "if you want to enjoy your time at this school I advise you to choose your acquaintances more carefully" She said and stared at Ichigo before continuing her lecture.

* * *

><p>Renji closed the door to his one bedroom condo. He threw the keys on the small table next to the door and started at himself in the mirror; his saddened eyes started back.<p>

"I'm such an idiot..." He said as he walked to the living room and plopped on the black couch.

After getting off the phone with Rukia he had been too curious so he had sneakily went over to see who it was that was picking her up. Judging from his car it was some rich guy she knew from somewhere. He hated admitting it but he wasn't bad looking either.

"Dammit!" He yelled and threw a pillow off the couch. Why did he have to fall for her? She was way out of his league...and how could he compete with someone like that guy?

He stared at the white ceiling above. He was a nobody…a nobody who had been taken in by Rukia's family. The only thing he had going for him at this point was that no matter the obstacles ahead, he was an idiot of a nobody who would do anything for her.

* * *

><p>Lunchtime couldn't come soon enough for Kaien. He got up from his seat and walked over to Ichigo's.<p>

"What were you thinking getting her in trouble like that?" He said trying to contain his anger.

"So the great Shiba Kaien actually has a bad side?" Ichigo said with a smirk.

"This has nothing to do with us Kurosaki" He responded with angry blue eyes.

"Can you please stop!" Rukia interrupted. She felt responsible for what was going on and felt they shouldn't be fighting because of her. She lowered her eyes embarrassed of what she believed to have caused.

Ichigo didn't want Rukia getting worried so he decided to just leave them alone for now. He stood from his desk, but before walking away got close to Kaien and whispered, "Your protectiveness of Kuchiki-san only makes her more irresistible"

Kaien instantly fisted his shirt and got in his face, "I can ignore your constant petty taunts because they're nothing but calls of attention to me, but when it comes down to her I won't hold back."

Ichigo was seeing red. _'Petty taunts for attention?'_ He thought angrily. He couldn't hold back and shoved Kaien off forcefully.

Everyone was staring in shock. Kaien was about to retaliate when someone grabbed him from behind; a blue-haired guy held Ichigo as well.

"I love a good fight but you can't mess with this idiot in school or you'll get kicked out" Grimmjow said.

"Yeah" Ichigo said gruffly and relaxed. He stared hard at Kaien one last time before walking away.

"You ok man? What happened?" Hisagi asked as he let go of Kaien.

"I'm fine. Kurosaki was being an idiot again and I couldn't hold back this time." He explained, "sorry about that Rukia" he said softly and turned to her.

"Don't apologize…I'm sorry for bringing trouble in your life" She said unable to look into his eyes.

He laughed and grabbed her hand, "I'd never think of you that way. Let's get some lunch"

* * *

><p>"Thanks for breaking the fight" Ichigo said as he ate his onigri.<p>

"Pfft! It hadn't even started" Grimmjow said and took a sip of his juice.

"I noticed Shiba-kun was acting different than usual so I forced Grimmjow to go" Nel said.

"Thanks Nel" Ichigo said with a half smile.

"There are ways of repaying me actually" She said with a wink.

"Stop throwing yourself at him it's sickening" Ulquiorra said with his usual poker face.

"I'll take that payment" Nnoitra said with a grin.

"Idiots" Nel said and then scooted over to Ichigo, "what I was going to say is that a friend from Karakura South invited me to a party Friday and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me..."

Ichigo hated parties, but Nel was a good friend and he couldn't really say no.

* * *

><p>"So he's with them again?" Tatsuki asked with annoyance when he noticed Inoue walking towards their group alone.<p>

"Yes but it's ok…if Kurosaki-kun wants to have other friends it would be wrong for me to tell him no" She said and took a seat by her best friend.

"It's not like he'd listen anyway" Keigo blurted out.

"Owww" He grabbed his head.

"You don't say things like that" Tatsuki said.

"Maybe you need to be more aggressive Inoue-san" Mizuiro said with a wink.

"Haha...maybe" Inoue laughed nervously.

The small group of friends continued eating like they always did. Ichigo not being there was becoming the norm, but everyone had to agree that the way he was treating the girl who was technically still his girlfriend was not right.

* * *

><p>Kaien's group sat under the shade of a large tree. Although he got along with everyone, he sat with his closest friends only.<p>

"Please have some, no need to be shy Kuchiki-san" Kira said offering Rukia some food.

"Thank you" Rukia said and helped herself.

"Don't feel bad about Kurosaki either, he's not a bad person he's just always had something against Kaien" Momo said with a smile.

"No he's just a jerk" Nanao said pushing her glasses up.

"On a different note, remember Shinji who transferred to Karakura South?" Hisagi said taking a big bite of food into his mouth.

"Yeah" Kaien said.

"He's throwing a party and invited all of us" Hisagi continued.

"That's great! Hopefully it'll help loosen you up a little" Rangiku said to Rukia with a smile.

"When is it?" Nanao asked in a serious tone.

"Friday at eight" Hisagi answered.

"I'll pick you up around seven then?" Kaien said to Rukia leaving no room for objections.

Nanao stared at the affectionate pair with despise before focusing back on her bento lunch box. It's not that she had a problem with Rukia per say, she just had a problem with the close relationship she had with Kaien.


End file.
